Post navigation

The Dark Side of Nursing

By Jonathan Beachy

Degree Finder For Nurses

1

2

3

Sponsored Schools

Share this infographic on your site!

Healthcare professionals often risk life and limb treating combative or disoriented patients. Nurses often bear the brunt of verbal and physical attacks from patients, particularly nurses who work in emergency departments.

Vital Statistics

3 million

Registered nurses in the U.S.

Those who work in nursing are among the most likely workers to face violence on the job.

62%

Registered nurses who work in hospital settings

Violence can occur anywhere in a hospital, but it’s most common in:

Psychiatric wards

Emergency rooms

Waiting rooms

Geriatric units

Emergency nurses often face some of the most belligerent and incoherent patients.

What Happens

Emergency nurses often come face-to-face with patients who are mentally ill, intoxicated or otherwise violent. As a result, a great many of these nurses report facing serious physical violence and intimidating verbal abuse.

Among ER nurses who report experiencing physical violence …

Bitten 6.4%

Choked 0.4%

Grabbed/pulled 48.3%

Hair pulled 1.8%

Punched/slapped 41.3%

Struck by thrown object 16.6%

Kicked 25.8%

Pinched 16.3%

Pushed/shoved/thrown 27.6%

Scratched 20%

Sexually assaulted 0.5%

Spit on 35.8%

Stabbed 0.3%

Voided/vomited on purposefully 5.8%

Among nurses who reported being targets of verbal abuse

Called names 68.2%

Harassed with sexual language/innuendos 22.7%

Threatened with legal action 51.8%

Threatened with physical violence/weapons 19.8%

Sworn/cursed at 89%

Yelled/shouted at 89%

Patients were the perpetrators in 97.8% of physical violence incidents and 92.3% of verbal abuse cases.

Preventive Care – Safety Tips for Hospital Workers

Signs of impending violence:

Verbally expressed anger and frustration

Body language such as threatening gestures

Signs of drug or alcohol use

Presence of a weapon

Control your behavior

Present a calm, caring attitude.

Don’t match the threats.

Don’t give orders.

Acknowledge the person’s feelings.

Avoid any behavior that may be interpreted as aggressive (moving rapidly, getting too close, touching or speaking loudly).

Remain alert

Evaluate each situation for potential violence when you enter a room or begin to relate to a patient or visitor.

Don’t isolate yourself with a potentially violent person.

Always keep an open path for exiting; don’t let the potentially violent person stand between you and the door.